PIONEER

"Paying them is the basic necessity. That's why they left their country, their loved ones, to come here."

She even visited a training centre in Bangladesh and met workers who were getting ready to come here.

She said: "To them Singapore is a dreamland. They don't realise what they're getting themselves into.

"Seeing those smiling hopeful faces turning into faces that cry is very difficult.

"I think what I'm doing is very noble work as I am solving someone's pain. It fulfils me when I get to see the difference I can make."

I view these migrant workers as equals, just another human being that needs help.

- Ms Rajoo on helping migrant workers

Whenever we talk to these workers, we really listen to their stories and try to understand their problems. We are there for them and listen to everything they have to say and hopefully start to build trust.

- Ms Reshma Basu

What is MWC?

Set up in 2009, the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) is an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers' Federation.

The MWC is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to champion fair employment practices and the well-being of migrant workers in Singapore.

They also facilitate social acceptance and integration through outreach activities, community engagement, advocacy and public education. For example, more than 5,000 migrant workers turned up on Dec 13 at last year's International Migrants Day (IMD) celebration held in Little India. This was the seventh IMD celebration organised by MWC since 2009.

The MWC also engages schools through an immersive and interactive attachment programme that aims to build greater understanding of the migrant worker environment in Singapore.

During this two- to three-day attachment programme, students will get different opportunities to learn about and interact with migrant workers.

They also find out about real case studies previously handled by MWC and experience how to manage and assist migrant workers in such cases.

HELPLINE

Migrant workers in need of assistance can call MWC's 24-hour helpline at 6536-2692

Company crams 120 workers in two flats

HORRIFIC: The living conditions at the Selegie apartment.

HORRIFIC: The living conditions at the Selegie apartment.

HORRIFIC: The living conditions at the Selegie apartment. PHOTOS: MIGRANT WORKERS' CENTRE

Helpline officer Kavitha Rajoo and other officers of the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) saw their worst case of shoddy housing for foreign workers in November 2014.

A helpline caller claimed his employer, Harri Engineering, had crammed close to 120 migrant workersinto two apartments.

They were on the 6th and 8th floor of Selegie Centre, on Selegie Road, he said.

The MWC officers conducted a joint sting operation with enforcement officers from the Ministry of Manpower the night of the tip-off.

They met at a coffee shop nearby to discuss the plan to raid the two apartments.

Ms Rajoo, 38, said: "We went in with a very open mind. Getting a tip-off is one thing but things might turn out otherwise at the scene.

"We saw the workers were forthcoming and after a short meeting at the coffee shop, we had hoped that we would be able to solve this case."

As they began making their way to the apartments, some workers were seen coming down with their personal belongings, reported an issue of NTUC This Week.

When questioned, they revealed they had been asked to shift to another location.

Someone had alerted the workers in the apartments about a possible check by the authorities, said the NTUC This Week report.

When they reached the apartments, the officers noticed each unit still had about 25 workers packed in.

Ms Rajoo said: "I was overwhelmed with what I saw. It was quite shocking and it was difficult to see that these workers were treated this way. How can a company cram workers in such a miserable limited space?" She saw the workers' personal belongings left all over the place.

There were also planks outside the apartment, which appeared to be used as beds by some workers.

There was a strong smell of urine at the staircases.

Ms Rajoo said: "It was truly the worst scenario I witnessed. There was only one toilet that all these workers had to share.

"Hygiene was a big issue. There was a strong smell of body odour and unwashed clothes were lying everywhere.

"Their bedsheets also looked stained. It was also not healthy for them because air was not circulating properly. We immediately offered accommodation to these workers at our own dorms at Kranji."

The case has since been solved and some workers have changed employers while others have gone home, she said.

I was overwhelmed with what I saw. It was quite shocking and it was difficult to see that these workers were treated this way. How can a company cram workers in such a miserable limited space?

- Ms Kavitha Rajoo on seeing the conditions the workers were living in.